Colossal Biosciences has genetically engineered the first dire wolf to live in over 10,000 years. Here’s what that means for other extinct species.
Category: genetics
Suming Huang & team show the HoxBlin c long non-coding RNA serves as an oncogenic regulator that controls 3D nuclear organization, chromatin accessibility and gene transcription related to leukemogenesis.
The figure shows H&E staining of sternum and spleen from WT and B-ALL HoxBlin c Tg mice.
1Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
2Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
3Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults, with an average first diagnosis at age 68, and has historically carried poor prognosis due to various genetic alterations and abnormalities that complicate…
A revolution is underway in gene editing—and at its forefront is David Liu, an American molecular biologist whose pioneering work is rewriting the building blocks of life with unprecedented precision.
A professor at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Liu was awarded a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences on Saturday for developing two transformative technologies: one already improving the lives of patients with severe genetic diseases, the other poised to reshape medicine in the years ahead.
He spoke with AFP ahead of the Los Angeles ceremony for the prestigious Silicon Valley-founded award.
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Gestational diabetes is a disorder characterized by abnormally high levels of blood glucose (also called blood sugar) during pregnancy.
Affected women do not have diabetes before they are pregnant, and most of these women go back to being nondiabetic soon after the baby is born. Gestational diabetes is often discovered during the second trimester of pregnancy.
The disease has a 30 to 70 percent chance of recurring in subsequent pregnancies.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in genes related to glucose metabolism and insulin signaling, such as TCF7L2, have been associated with increased risk. This gene influences insulin secretion and glucose production, affecting the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar during pregnancy. Other implicated genes include GCK, encoding glucokinase, and MTNR1B, involved in melatonin receptor signaling.
More information on genetic factors that contribute to the development of GDM is provided in the link below.
Sensory Processing Challenges in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Genetic Conditions: An Observational Study
Posted in biotech/medical, genetics, robotics/AI | Leave a Comment on Sensory Processing Challenges in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Genetic Conditions: An Observational Study
A variety of genetic conditions are known to affect brain development and, consequently, might potentially exhibit behaviours related to SIDs, as they impact areas involved in sensory processing and the perceptual integration of inputs. This is the case of Williams syndrome (WS), 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS) and pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP). Although some previous research indicates sensory processing alterations in WS [20], this area remains largely unexplored in 22qDS and PHP.
The condition 22qDS, caused by a deletion in the q11.2 region of chromosome 22, is associated with significant brain abnormalities, along with cardiac anomalies, cleft palate, immune deficiencies, cognitive difficulties, and an increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia [21]. Common structural alterations include hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, which impacts interhemispheric communication, and anomalies in the thalamus, affecting the relay of sensory and motor information. Additionally, structural changes in the cortical brain regions, such as variations in cortical thickness, have been observed. These structural abnormalities are linked to disruptions in neural networks and can contribute to deficits in cognitive and emotional functions, impacting development and behaviour in individuals with the syndrome [22].
WS is caused by a microdeletion in the chromosomal region 7q11.23. It is characterised by a distinctive cognitive and behavioural profile, including strong social and verbal skills, accompanied by anxiety and attention problems. Additionally, individuals with WS may present with cardiovascular anomalies, hypercalcemia in infancy, and a distinctive facial phenotype [23]. MRI studies reveal reduced brain size and a more pronounced loss of white matter compared to grey matter in WS. The posterior brain regions are notably more affected, with reduced grey matter density observed in the superior parietal lobe and hypofunction near the intraparietal sulcus, areas associated with multisensory integration and perception [24].
CRISPR gene-editing removes SOX2 gene and eliminates 50% of head and neck tumors in mice, offering new hope for targeted cancer therapy.
A new model of Alzheimer’s disease has been proposed, which could speed up efforts to understand and cure the complex condition – while bringing all manifestations of the condition under one unifying theory.
Researchers from Arizona State University suggest that stress granules – protein and RNA clumps that form around cells in stressful conditions due to genetic and environmental risk factors – are the primary culprit behind the disease.
In their new study, the team reviewed data from multiple health databases and past papers – particularly a 2022 study on Alzheimer’s progression – to identify widespread changes in gene expression that come with it.
1. Non-selective neurons, which respond to both pain and itch stimuli indiscriminately.
2. Stimulus-specific neurons, which were selectively activated by either pain or itch stimuli.
Furthermore, using the dual-eGRASP technique—an advanced synaptic analysis method the research team discovered that stimulus-specific neurons in the ACC receive distinct synaptic inputs from the mediodorsal thalamus (MD). This finding indicates that pain and itch are processed by independent neuronal populations within the ACC, which receive differentiated synaptic inputs, providing fundamental insights into the neural mechanisms of pain and itch processing.
To further confirm the role of these neurons, the team used chemogenetic techniques to selectively deactivate either pain-specific or itch-specific neurons. The results showed suppressing pain neurons reduced pain perception without affecting itch, and vice versa. This discovery suggests that these neurons play a direct role in shaping how we experience pain and itch.
A research team have uncovered the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of pain and itch in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). This study provides new insights into how the brain distinguishes between these two distinct sensory experiences.
Pain and itch are both unpleasant sensations, but they trigger different responses—pain often prompts withdrawal, while itching leads to scratching. Until now, scientists have struggled to understand how the brain processes these sensations separately, as they share overlapping neural pathways from the spinal cord to the brain.